Joey Hopper//Will Byers -Book two-

Will the wise: Part three

I stand in the mirror, looking on at my reflection in horror.

"Come on Joey, it's not that bad." Max calls from the other side of the door.

I shake my head. "Yeah, emphasis on that."

I will admit, my hair doesn't look terrible. It just looks...shocking. I've had long hair for years. Maybe it's because of when Sarah got Cancer. She couldn't have long hair anymore. My hair was on the shorter side then but I remember asking my mom if I could shave my head like Sarah. Sarah over heard me though and she said no. That she wanted me to grow out my hair for the both of us. My heart stings as I think about Sarah. She's dead because of me. I don't know the extent of why. Maybe they just killed her at the end...maybe they somehow gave her cancer. Maybe that was never what she had at all. I don't think I'll ever get a straight answer on that. All I know is that if she had never met me she could be alive today.

I can't think about that right now though. No, nowadays I think I grow out my hair more so for El. After all, she's been trying to grow her hair ever since I first met her. I think that her thought process is that it will make her look prettier, like the girls on tv.

In a way I feel like I'm betraying them both. As I sway my head my hair tickles my shoulders. It could be worse I guess. While a few pieces in the front curl around my ears the overall length isn't all too short. The majority of it is reaching right at my shoulder blades. It's like I said, it doesn't look bad just...different.

I finally walk out of the bathroom. It's morning and if Max and I don't head out soon then we'll be late for first period. I don't want to put that on her.

"I don't know what you're even worried about." She exclaims, "you look great with short hair. It makes you look more unique."

"Thanks," I sigh as I pick my backpack off of the floor.

Max smiles. "Lets go."

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Max and I park our modes of transportation at the bike rack and I let out a shaky breath. This is going to be the first time the boys see me with my new look, the first time Will sees me. Come on Joe, stop siking yourself out! It's not like that time when Lucas came to school with brasses or when Dustin's face got stained blue from that shady face paint. It's just hair, it's pretty much nothing.

"What the heck happened to you, Joe?" Lucas shouts as he runs up to me.

Yeah, nothing.

Max puts an arm around my shoulder. "We cut it."

"We?" Lucas questions.

"Yeah," I say. "I stayed at Maxes house last night. So...do you like it?"

Lucas's eyes go slightly wide and he says, "well uh, I don't know? It looks fine."

"Fine?" Max insists.

Lucas blushes. "You did a great job Max! It looks good."

Max rolls her eyes, "good? Gosh, you're so rude Lucas."

Lucas's eyes darted to me as if saying 'why'd you have to be such a tomboy your whole life Joe? You did not prepare me for girl-talk.'

I stifle a laugh and I tease, "so you think I look good Lucas?"

"Well, yeah- or no...maybe?" He stutters, sounding completely lost.

I might have got this whole situation totally wrong. I mean, Max is great and if she sticks around then I get to see an awkward Lucas trying to pine after her. The amount of jokes I'll be able to pull off will be astounding. I know my relationship with my dad is on the rocks and it seems like the upside down isn't done with us just yet but maybe, just maybe, our friendship will get through all of this undamaged.